Adult Treatment

We don’t want your experience at Dunegan & Cole Orthodontics to feel transactional. We know it’s about a relationship, so we offer straightforward and inclusive financing options. At your free initial consultation, our experienced financial coordinators can help to maximize any insurance benefit and create an interest-free payment plan designed just for your budget. To see some real numbers, please see our cost calculator for an example of what to expect.

If your teeth are severely crowded (because your mouth is too small to properly accommodate all of them) — or if you have impacted teeth (teeth that are trapped beneath the gum line by other teeth) — then extraction may be necessary. In the case of younger patients, early treatment may make extraction unnecessary. Each case will be evaluated individually so that the best decision can be made for each patient.

It’s different for each person, but generally the active stage of treatment (that is, wearing braces or other appliances) may take from 6-30 months. After that, a retainer is worn for at least several months more.

Having braces put on is generally painless. Some people experience minor aches and pains in the first couple of days or so, as they adjust to wearing their appliances; periodic adjustments may sometimes cause soreness as well, though it typically lasts only a short time. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to alleviate any discomfort, but are usually unnecessary.